Having Been Baptized

This fits the baptism in the cloud and sea where their hearts were changed in baptism itselfOne question that makes a world of difference concerning the view baptism is circumcision is Colossians 2:11-12. It seems baptism takes place before New Testament circumcision in the passage. Or at the same time.

Col 2:11  in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;

Col 2:12  having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

It seems that our faith in the resurrection at the time of baptism marks our justification.

1. We die, crucified with Christ in baptism. Opening the door for release from the law through Christ.

2. Once we die and are buried with Christ we can be justified by our faith in the resurrection.

"Having been" can be interpreted to support the view baptism (The immersion part) is the circumcision. or it can be interpreted to support baptism (The immersion part) was completed before the circumcision. It was while being immersed God forgives, or as Paul puts it "The putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh".

Some see the circumcision as Christ removing the law. Others see it as Christ circumcising the heart. Some see it as baptism and others as God's work during baptism.

The Popular Commentary said it thus,

 the true circumcision is that of Christ whose redeeming work (Col_2:11-13) cancelled the law of ordinances.

I believe immersion was completed before the circumcision, showing they were different but interconnected events. While the person is in the water God stripps the sins associated with our life in the flesh. Sins removed we are raised a new creature in the spirit. We are raised to walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

Some teach this is when God gives us a new circumcised heart, which makes some sense, but the text doesn't specifically mention it.

This fits with I Peter 3:21 where baptism leads to a good conscience, showing the effect on the inner man. The word conscience is used as a pure conscience, we are morally clean and therefore justified.

1Pe 3:21  The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:

This fits the Red Sea crossing where they had troubled hearts before the sea but were fully convinced at the time they saw God's salvation. Baptism itself changes the inner man.

Perhaps the greatest change is the gift of the Holy Spirit at baptism, it is when we can truly say we are no longer in the flesh, but in the Spirit.

Rom 8:9  But ye are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwelleth in you. But if any man hath not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

To be free from the flesh we must be in the Spirit, which we are sealed after baptism.

Our circumcision is by God and not by human hands. The physical act of baptism requires human hands. It is God's part in forgiving by freeing from the law of sin and death, and sealing us with his Spirit. The circumcision of God is through the cross.

Col 2:14  Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

Our circumcision is God's work in lieu of our baptism.

In baptism we are not made free from sinning, we will still sin. We are not made free from original sin, it is a theory. We are made free from the law that causes our death.

Rom 8:2  For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death.

When we die in baptism we are free from the law that cursed Adam and his race. Dieing the law has no more dominion.

This disproves the Baptist theory that baptism looked back at remission of sins, since baptism was before or at the time of New Testament circumcision. In Acts 2:38 the Gift of the Holy Spirit was still future to those unbaptized.